• Tinubu seeks Senate approval to send troops
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has praised Nigeria’s swift intervention in helping to abort the attempted military takeover in the Republic of Benin, saying the response should become the regional standard for safeguarding democratic governance.
This was as President Bola Tinubu formally requested the Senate’s approval for the deployment of Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin.
Speaking yesterday, at the opening of the 55th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at ministerial level in Abuja, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, said Nigeria’s rapid deployment of support forces was instrumental in preventing the overthrow of President Patrice Talon.
Touray said the development reflected the seriousness of the political risk facing the region.
“Events of the last few weeks have shown the imperative of deep introspection on the future of our democracy and the urgent need to invest in the security of our community.
“For the speed and commitment shown, Nigeria deserves a standing ovation. This is what regional solidarity should look like if we are determined to protect democracy,” he said.
Touray’s remarks come barely 48 hours after Benin Republic arrested the ringleaders and many soldiers involved in Sunday’s foiled coup attempt. As earlier reported, about 13 suspects were detained after a group of officers briefly seized the national television station and declared the removal of President Talon.
Loyalist forces quickly regained control, leading ECOWAS to deploy parts of its Standby Force and surveillance assets to help stabilise the country and track fleeing coup suspects.
The Benin incident adds to growing concerns over the rise of military interventions across the region.
Reacting to the development, Touray said the combination of political instability, terrorism and banditry pushed West Africa into a “state of emergency”, noting that the region faces widespread insecurity with significant humanitarian consequences.
He cited fresh data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) showing 7.6 million people internally displaced across West and Central Africa and another 1,094,742 refugees and asylum seekers, numbers he said underline the scale of the crisis.
Tinubu’s request, read on the Senate floor by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, was made pursuant to the 1999 Constitution and following consultations with the National Defence Council.
Talon’s residence in the Le Guézo neighbourhood was attacked by a group of military personnel led by Lt-Col Pascal Tigri on Sunday. Later in the morning, Tigri appeared on national television, which is reported to be under military control, declaring himself “chairman of the military re-establishment committee.”
Then Tinubu immediately deployed fighter jets and ground troops to the country to help foil the coup.
The letter reads, “Pursuant to Section 5, Subsection (5), Part II of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and further to consultations with the National Defence Council, I hereby seek the consent of the Senate for the deployment of Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin. This request follows an appeal from the Government of the Republic of Benin for the exceptional and immediate provision of air support by the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Senate may wish to note that the Government of the Republic of Benin is confronted with an attempted unconstitutional seizure of power, accompanied by disruptions and destabilisation of democratic institutions.
The situation, as reported by the Government of Benin, requires urgent external intervention.”
The Senate subsequently referred the request to the Committee of the Whole for immediate consideration.
